Comparable to Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Faith Evans, and the late Aaliyah, Gina Thompson is among the hip-hop-drenched urban contemporary female vocalists who emerged in the '90s. Thompson grew up in Vineland, New Jersey, where she began singing as a child and continued throughout high school, where she was crowned the school's first Black homecoming queen. In 1995, Thompson signed with Mercury/PolyGram, which released her debut album, Nobody Does It Better, the following year, which included production from Sean "Puffy" Combs and a guest spot from Missy Elliott. Thompson's association with Elliott led to a deal with Elektra, who released Thompson's second album, 1999's If You Only Knew. Guests included Elliott as well as Los Angeles singer Montell Jordan (best known for his 1995 smash "This Is How We Do It"), DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel.